“Lamine a wrap and Vinicius a chicken poke after the Classic”

A long time ago, nutrition stopped being a mere complement for elite athletes and became a key part of their performance. The most famous athlete or the one who trains alone every day in search of a dream must be clear that the food they eat can make a difference between success and failure.

That’s where it appears MioBioan emerging company from Valencia that was launched to make it easier for athletes and clubs to ensure that food is never a problem, that it always adds up. The result: healthy, homemade dishes designed to maximize recovery and physical performance.

Sergio BrisaCEO of MioBio, and Emanuela Gornatinutritional manager, were responsible for lighting the spark of MioBio. They both came from completely different worlds: he, from engineering, and she, from fashion. However, they both shared a passion for healthy eating, especially after a personal experience that marked a before and after for Emanuela. “I have always had concerns about diet as a result of a family health problem. A change in diet was decisive in the improvement of my sister’s illness,” explains Gornati. “It seemed incredible to me how what we eat can have such a big impact“.

That was the germ of what, some time later, would become MioBio. Gornati and Brisa, after relevant training in mid-European countries (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal) started in a small restaurant in Valencia that, over time, became an innovative business model. “We differentiate ourselves by betting on veganismlos organic and whole foods“says Sergio.

But the real disruption came when they decided to focus on athletes, who increasingly frequented their restaurant, since it offered them the possibility of getting personalized, heavy menus with adjusted macros to the nutritional needs of each one. This is how they entered the world of elite sports. “Just a few months later we were already working directly with five First Division clubs,” they remember.

MioBio’s foray into the world of football was no coincidence. For Brisa, what they found in the professional teams’ locker rooms was a clear opportunity to improve: “When we got into In the world of football, we saw a great need from a service like MioBio: on the team buses after the games you would find 20 boxes of fast food pizzas and hamburgers. For us, it was a total inconsistency. There was a requirement for the players to stay at home during the week, but after a game they could stuff themselves with junk food.”

MioBio got to work to change that reality and now works hand in hand with more than fifty athletes, in addition to 15 teams from LaLiga, 17 from the Laliga Hypermotion and as many from the F League, the Endesa League or the rugby team…

Its most requested service currently is post-match menus. “We created a regenerative card that, on the one hand, the player likes and, on the other, helps to recover as soon as possible,” says Emanuela.

After a match, the body is exhausted and needs to recover quickly, something that cannot be achieved with fast food, but with nutrient-rich dishes. “We have created visually attractive and recognizable recipes for players, like hamburgers, but using organic and whole foods, which help in regeneration instead of taking away nutrients. The ideal menu after a game should be rich in carbohydrates, proteins and antioxidants. “We use red fruits a lot, for example.”

The star dishes right after the games are the Bolognese pasta, taking maximum care of each of its ingredients, the chicken wraps and the baked sweet potato to replace the French fries. “We don’t fry anything“, emphasizes Gornati. “We cook everything in the oven. Healthy cooking is key, since after a game the body is inflamed, and a heavy meal would only make it worse.”

One of the aspects that makes MioBio unique is its ability to fully customize the menus for each player. “It may be the case that in a soccer team with 25 players, we find that 10 or 15 different menus have to be prepared,” explains Brisa. Each athlete has specific needs, depending on their position on the field, their physique, and even their age. “Between 18 and 24 years old, good nutrition is more of an obligation“says Brisa. “Between 24 and 30 they already do it because of education and because they see results,” he continues. “And from the age of 30, they impose it on themselves because they already physically notice how poor nutrition affects them. “The body doesn’t respond the same way.”

They are so clear that good nutrition is crucial and that if those dishes are not delicious, they have little chance of success. That the player enjoys the food is essential. “Flavor is vital. Beyond macros and nutrients, if the athlete or person does not enjoy the food, ‘game over’ inmediato“emphasizes Brisa. That is why regular meetings with the players and their nutritionists are key to continually adjusting the menu and recipes.

Serve as a sample of a hypothetical post-game menu for the Clásico that will face Real Madrid and Barcelona tonight at the Bernabéu and let’s play with the tastes of the protagonists in search of their ideal menu after finishing playing. “TO Laminewho is very young, I’m sure he would like a chicken wrap or one of our hamburgers, and a good dessert,” says Brisa. For older players, like Modricneeds change: “Veterans tend to be players who ask you for less quantity. They are looking for something more balanced and just the right quantity. Maybe a little rice with vegetables.”

At the midpoint there would be, for example, Mbappe and Vinicius: “They would surely bet on the chicken pokes. A mix of brown rice with chicken and some vegetables. It is ideal for a post game. In addition, our poke does not contain sugar or glutamate. “We have our own sauces, healthy and adapted to athletes.”

In any case, The nutritionists of each team have the final say. “There are different types of nutritionists. Some prefer a more indulgent post-match, like a reward, while others see this diet as key to quick recovery and the next match. Us We have adapted recipes such as cheesecake or chocolate cake, but with a protein contribution and without refined sugarsto please everyone. We also make energy balls based on fructose and dates,” says Emanuela.

For the hours before the game, experience tells them that there is no need to ‘invent’ anything. “It has to be a very simple menu: pasta or rice, carbohydrates and proteins. Fats and fibers are removed, as they slow down digestion and could cause problems. The goal is to provide energy and fill the muscles with glycogen so they can perform. All the nutritionists we work with agree on this,” they explain.

Plus, there is an extra: “All these years have taught us that Soccer players do not risk anything with food before playing. Nothing. They always eat the same thing, what they know will be good for them and give them the energy they need. They don’t innovate,” says Sergio.

But soccer and the Clásico are not the only great sporting events today. There is also the combat of Ilia Topuria another athlete for whom nutrition is a fundamental pillar. “Each sport has a different need, intake and timing. That is super important to respect and adapt to each person,” explains Gornati, who would love to prepare Ilia’s pre-fight menu: “It would be amazing to be able to feed Ilia. He has a plan, he is very closely followed at a nutritional level, he follows a diet, he has his doctor, but surely, knowing what he needs and his tastes, he could invent something different from the typical pre-competition chicken rice,” he confesses.

In fact, one of the keys to MioBio’s success lies in its ability to combine flavor with functionality. Offer a balanced and appetizing dish that meets the nutritional demands of elite athletes. “Eating chicken two or three times a week can become boring, so we seek to transform it through different recipes so that it seems like something else. Of course, without using refined sugars or processed products,” explains Gornati. “Our cuisine touches all styles: Mediterranean, Asian, Mexican… We can use different spices that help improve recovery, digestion and also add flavor.”

Although MioBio has found its niche in the world of sports, Anyone can take advantage of their services to eat like a true elite athlete. thanks to your ecommerce. “In the amateur option, we offer a balanced dish with two options to choose from, with normal weights and macros,” explains Brisa, who adds: “There is also an option for the most demanding, where the client can indicate exactly how many grams of protein or carbohydrates you need, and MioBio adjusts the diet accordingly.”

The price, obviously, is one of the determining factors to be able to afford this menu on a daily basis. “Each menu costs 12 euros and includes a starter and a main course of homemade foodnot industrialized. They are the same dishes that we can give to professional players,” they explain.

MioBio is championing a silent revolution in food and now they are committed to transferring what they have learned in sports to the business world: “It is as if we had certified ourselves in the best and most demanding university in the worldwe would have gotten A’s and now we would only have to adapt the knowledge. With everything we have experienced in sports, it is very easy to generate very varied menus and, at the same time, customize them for companies.”